The Rising Ancients
by KeyofNostalgia
Summary: When Nico gets kidnapped from camp by shadows, Percy must lead a quest to find two ancient gods: Erebus and Aether. Their journey begins with Mt.Everest, and the demigods soon discover that more gods may be involved in different ways than they could have ever suspected. First story in The Primordial War.
1. Percy:Interruption

The conch horn blew, signaling the end of the Capture-the-Flag game. The moods of the two teams were polar opposites. The Hunters beamed at each other as Thalia jogged over to the dejected campers with a smirk on her face and the flag in her hand.

"What was that, their 1000th time winning?" Percy muttered under his breath as his rival approached to brag. He glanced at his girlfriend. She had a frustrated and calculated look, and she barely acknowledged anyone.

"Hey, Annabeth. It looks as if your plan didn't work out too well," Thalia grinned.

"How did you know our plan? It was laid out so carefully," she grumbled.

"It was so well-planned out that it was soo predictable," Thalia declared.

"That makes no sense!" Annabeth argued vehemently. Percy got ready to intervene before the heated debate continued. He never got the chance.

A distorted shriek rang in the woods. They looked at each other with alarm and sprinted towards the disturbance while the others quickly followed. What they ran to sent shivers across his spine: Nico di Angelo was curled up on the snow covered ground with a scrunched up expression and his hands over his ears. He was being pulled into the ground by tendrils of wiggling darkness. No one seemed to be able to reach him, for they were frozen in fear. Then Percy shook off his shock and tried to push through the crowd. He noticed that Clarisse did the same, with a bit of a dazed look. Percy got through first, but it was too late. As he just managed to reach the dark area, Nico was dragged under completely. A second later, shadows like a spider having muscle spasms grabbed at Percy's arms! Panic threatened to overwhelm him as visions of fire and destruction raging through a city suddenly assaulted his mind. He struggled desperately and escaped what was grabbing him. The vortex and its strange extensions faded as soon as he stumbled back and fell to his knees. Percy started to shiver. Those visions…were they what he feared? He couldn't recall ever thinking about burning cities. As adrenaline died away, he sat still until a barrage of voices entered his ears.

"What happened?"

"What was that thing?"

"Nico disappeared!"

But a single voice drowned out everyone else's. "PERCY!" His girlfriend kneeled next to him and scrutinized at him with concern. "Are you okay?"

Percy blinked sluggishly. He recovered from his trance-like state and very elegantly said,"Uhh…"

Annabeth started to talk. "Di immortals! I thought you were going to get swallowed too! And Nico was-"

She was cut off by Chiron's stern and grim voice. "Counselors, we are having a meeting in the rec. room. The rest of the campers and Hunters, return to your cabins immediately." Chiron trotted away from the woods with haste, leaving behind a group of stunned, fearful demigods.


	2. Percy:Prophecy

**This is a slightly longer chapter. Please let me know what you think!**

Percy walked into the rec. room, mentally berating himself for being too slow. If he had just been a little faster, maybe Nico could have been saved…He thought of the one-sided conversation he'd had with Annabeth.

"_It's not your fault, Percy. You shouldn't blame yourself for everything, and I'm sure Nico would agree. You were in danger too, you know. We'll have to do what we can from now on." _

Percy sighed. There were too many things happening for him to focus, but he was aware of an uneasy feeling in his gut that warned him of an impending quest. Joy. He refused to believe Nico was dead. Shadows couldn't kill him, right?

The unenthusiastic demigod surveyed the room wearily. Clarisse was there, sharpening her knife. Piper and Leo stood in the corner, discussing something in whispers, and Thalia leaned against the opposite wall with her arms crossed. Annabeth noticed him and gestured for him to sit next to him. After he did, Chiron rolled in.

"We must have a quest," came the dreaded words. Percy looked away. Why couldn't their lives just be left alone? "Lord Hades demanded that the best be sent on this quest. He is quite upset at the kidnapping of his son."

Murmurs spread throughout the room. The god of the dead actually cared about a demigod? Percy disagreed with the doubts. Gods did care…about losing their pieces on the chess board. In their minds, demigods were just meant to be tools at their disposal.

"Hey! Seaweed Brain!" Percy jerked into reality. He did not realize that he was scowling and everyone was staring at him.

"Did you hear what Chiron said?" Thalia asked."

"No. Sorry," the embarrassed half-blood replied.

Annabeth turned to him curiously. "He asked if anyone wanted to lead the quest." She had an unspoken question in her eyes: "_Will you?"_

Percy clenched his fists. "I'm tired of being used by the gods. We're to lay down our lives for them and expect nothing in return except death, punishment, or a life of being chased by monsters." He was aware of everyone's shocked gazes on him, but he didn't care. A wave of exhaustion passed over him. "I just…I don't know."

"Percy," Thalia called gently. He turned to his cousin. She had an understanding look in her eyes. "At least do it for Nico." He nodded slowly, agreeing. After all, they were extended family, and he did not leave behind people that he cared about.

"Then it is decided. Percy will lead the quest," Chiron declared. He had a sad and uneasy tone of voice, probably due to the outburst earlier. "Go to the oracle. Once the prophecy is received, we shall discuss who will accompany you.

* * *

"Hello, Percy. Have you come for a prophecy?" Rachel asked. Her usual cheerful attitude was replaced by a solemn one. Percy nodded and followed her into the cave. Rachel sat down on a stool and simply said, "Go ahead."

He took a deep breath. "What must I do to rescue Nico di Angelo?" Immediately, green mist flowed around her like slithering snakes. With her eyes glowing brightly, she spoke in a hollow voice:

_Three shall find the highest light,_

_Enemies be allies, with friends you fight,_

_Find one in darkness, consumed by fear,_

_The other spreads terror while staying near._

Rachel slumped forward, and Percy steadied her. An eerie echo resonated in the cave. "Thanks, Rachel. You should rest," Percy stated. Then he rushed to get back to the council, thoughts rapidly shooting through his mind. The other? Wasn't Nico the only one taken? The camp was a blur as he sprinted to the Big House.


	3. Percy:Primordials

**I'm not sure if many people like this story or not. I guess at least a few do, so I'll go on. Please enjoy, and reviews would be greatly appreciated(thanks to those who reviewed before)!**

Panting lightly, Percy stumbled into the room. With everyone's expectant eyes on him, he plopped down on a seat next to Annabeth. She took his chilled hands and rubbed them absently with her own. He smiled at her briefly before turning to the others. Thalia raised an eyebrow, as if to say, "Well? Aren't you going to say it?" He repeated the prophecy, and whispers broke out.

"Be quiet!" Annabeth ordered. "We have to think about what this means."

"Let us decide one thing at a time. Percy, you must choose two to go with you," Chiron told him.

Percy didn't hesitate. "Annabeth and Thalia. The rest of you, I want you to take care of the camp. Leo, you still have repairs to do left over from the war, right? "Said boy nodded while fiddling around with some kind of contraption. That summer, the Romans had attacked Camp Half-Blood while the war with Gaea was going on. After the war was over, the misunderstandings had cleared up. The Greeks and Romans may still have been tense with each other, but at least they weren't hostile. Jason, Frank, and Hazel had returned to their camp indefinitely to clean up relations after the war.

"Piper, could you contact the Romans and give them an update? Maybe they'll know something."

The daughter of Aphrodite replied, "Yeah. I'll send an Iris-Message to Jason."

"You should probably let Hazel know that her brother got kidnapped again," Leo piped up. Piper glared at him without much heat.

Percy decided to speak up before they got too distracted. "What does the "highest light" mean?" he asked.

His teacher sighed. "I suspect," Chiron started, "that the prophecy refers to a god. One of the oldest, in fact."

Annabeth bit her lower lip nervously. "Do you mean the Protogenoi?"

Before Chiron could answer, Leo asked what Percy himself was wondering: "Who the Hades is that?"

Of course, Annabeth went into lecture mode. "The Protogenoi, or the Primordials, are gods that existed even before the Olympians. They-"

"Okay, so they're basically really ancient gods who have been quiet for a long time, but now we need to find them?" Thalia summarized.

"Well…yeah," Annabeth mumbled, looking a little miffed at being interrupted. "Judging by the words, we're going to find one in particular: Aether, the god of light and the upper heaven air."

For a moment, everyone was silent. Then Leo whistled. "That's one epic title right there, folks." Percy grinned at him gratefully. He appreciated the attempt at lightening the heavy mood. But then he remembered the next line.

"With friends you fight…" Percy trailed off. A lump was forming in his throat. Why would any of his friends fight him? After the Titan War, he thought that betrayals were over.

Will Solace tried to assure him. "Remember that prophecies have double meanings, and the words before that at least sound pretty good," he concluded. Percy wasn't so sure. Enemies, allies, friends, they were all linked somehow. He had a bad feeling that the image he saw of the city was a part of it. Deciding not to share details just yet, he moved along the discussion.

"The one in darkness has to be Nico, so that means we will find him. The fear part, we'll have to deal with that when we see him," he said. Something about fear…it bothered him, but he couldn't exactly grasp what it was.

Clarisse must have had the same thoughts because she asked, "When Nico was taken, you guys couldn't move forward, could you? Each of you saw what you feared?"

Annabeth shuddered and gripped his hands tightly. "How'd you know?"

The girl gruffly said, "From experience. Prissy knows it too." All heads turned to him again.

"We've run into Phobos before. He must have been in camp, distracting us and affecting Nico. Now that I think about it, the terror part in the last line fits Deimos."

Thalia, who had been relatively quiet for a while, said, "As far as we know, Nico was the only one taken. So who's the "other" referring to? From how it sounds, that person could be against us."

"Yeah," Percy agreed. "But we can't worry about that now. Our first step is to find Aether. Where is he?"

"About that..," Chiron grimaced. "He likes high places. These days, he likes the highest place of all."

Thalia groaned, "No."

"Yes," Annabeth muttered with disbelief.

Percy blanched. "Chiron, please don't tell us we're going to Everest."


	4. Percy:Departure

**A friend of mine urged me to update today...as if I wasn't going to! Hope you're happy, Copper Rain. Anyway, you reviewers are awesome. Those other readers out there are cool too! I hope you enjoy!**

Percy had hoped that the centaur would reply with some reassuring words, preferably along the lines of, "Of course not! Why would a god live on the peak of a cold, lifeless mountain?" But gods just had to be weird, and Chiron's dark expression told him that his hopes were misplaced. He glanced at Thalia with worry. Her fists were trembling a little, but she quickly schooled her face into a neutral one.

"What I don't get," Percy started, "is why we're going to find the god of light if Nico was taken by a bunch of shadow thingies."

"Very eloquently put, Percy." Chiron dryly said. "That is actually a point that I was going to bring up. Darkness falls under a certain god's sphere of control," he paused, as if he was waiting for an answer.

"Erebus?" Annabeth thoughtfully murmured, but Chiron's radar ears picked it up.

"Indeed. Erebus is most likely the one behind this incident. He is also a primordial deity, so Aether may know the reasons for his actions. Whatever happens, the prophecy will come true. The quest will no doubt be dangerous, so go prepare while we arrange transportation. You will depart tomorrow morning," Chiron firmly ordered. The demigods scattered off as the meeting adjourned.

That night, Percy had a creepy dream. He knew that his dreams were usually helpful and stuff, but he wished he could get some sleep once in a while without being disturbed by troubling visions.

_Why fight when you can just dream?_

"Huh?" Percy mumbled. He was standing in…blackness. "Where am I?"

A voice whispered to him. _Sleep, and let your problems be dealt by others…Haven't you suffered much already?_

He reached for Riptide, but it wasn't there. "Who are you? What do you want?"

_We want you to rest, obviously. Haven't you been listening for the past minute?_

'Great,' he thought. 'A voice with an attitude in my head.'

_There is no escape. Everyone falls into nightmares, and you, Hero of Olympus, are no exception._ The voice hissed.

Percy was starting to get frustrated. He was standing in Zeus-knows-where, listening to someone who seriously needed some social advice. Being told that he would have nightmares wasn't exactly a pleasant experience either.

The voice started chuckling (in a totally unfriendly way), and the floor beneath him suddenly dissolved despite the fact that it had been perfectly solid a second ago. With that falling sensation, he jerked awake.

* * *

Trying not to think about nightmares and such, Percy trudged out of his cabin after packing. He saw Thalia near Cabin 8, staring off into the distance. Walking more briskly, he approached her. Pulling her aside to talk got him some irked looks from the Hunters, but he ignored them.

"What do you want?" Thalia asked grumpily.

"Are you okay with going on this quest?" Percy asked back.

"Yes. I just talked to Lady Artemis, and even though Nico is a _boy_," Thalia said the word with a scowl, "she gave me permission to go. I think that she suspects that this quest is part of something bigger, and we're going to play a role in it."

Percy frowned a little at the last part then got back on track. "That's not really what I meant. Personally, are you okay?"

She averted her eyes. "The heights thing? Sure, I'll deal with it. Can't be a daughter of Zeus who backs down from high places," she muttered.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. We all have fears, whether we accept it or not. I…well, after the quest in Alaska, I became afraid of drowning or suffocating, so I know how you feel," Percy admitted.

Thalia's eyes widened. "You? Afraid of drowning? But you love the water!"

"I…um…it's complicated. Don't tell anyone," he warned lamely.

Her gaze softened just a little. "Fine," she said. "Now let's get Annabeth so we can get this quest over with."

They found Annabeth sitting on her bed, scribbling down notes on a notebook. 'They're probably plans for the quest,' he automatically thought. "Are you ready to go?" he asked out loud.

Her head jerked up, and her somewhat unfocused eyes bore into his. "Yes," she said. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose." She grabbed her backpack that lay next to her, and Percy followed her and Thalia out.

As the three of them walked to the top of Half-Blood Hill, he took a good look at the camp and felt only sorrow. 'This could be our last time being here,' he reflected somberly. He shook off the morbid thoughts and put on a brave face for the campers staring at them. Chiron awaited at the top,and all became quiet.

"I have faith that you will do well," he declared. "The three of you will hang on to Mrs.O'Leary to shadow travel to the base of the mountain. I have heard rumors of…well, you will find out when you arrive. The journey will begin then."

Annabeth ducked her head and embraced the old teacher. Chiron patted her back gently. "You are some of the greatest heroes of Olympus. I believe you will succeed. After all, you have done so all these years, haven't you?" he spoke to everyone.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you," she told him sincerely. He smiled at the girls and nodded to him. Percy whistled, and Mrs.O'Leary bounded towards them and barked, almost knocking him off balance. The three managed to fit on the hellhound's back, and with a last glance back at everyone, they rushed into the shadows of the pine tree.


	5. Thalia:The Mountain

**Wow, I actually updated earlier than I expected. Once again, I thank my reviewers, readers, and favoriters. :) Also, this chapter introduces an OC, but I believe that she won't be too important. Perhaps it is what you call a plot device? I'm not sure, but please don't be deterred from reading!**

Thalia almost screamed as the darkness suddenly surrounded them and whooshed past. Then before she knew it, the background faded to light. "That was…"

"Exhilarating," Annabeth finished for her.

Percy laughed. "I know," he said. "It feels as if your face is going to peel off," he breathed out, shivering. All three of them wore thick parkas and layers of pants, but it was still below freezing. Pure snow began to cover their shoulders, and Thalia searched around for any sign of life. Behind her, Mrs.O'Leary whined and shook off the snow that was quickly piling on her fur. Percy petted her side, whispering something to her, and she ran back into the shadows of the boulder that towered over them.

"Climbing this mountain during the winter solstice is suicide," she growled. "There has to be a better way."

She could see the gears turning in Annabeth's head. The daughter of Athena narrowed her eyes. "Someone's coming through the haze," she warned.

A faint figure appeared out of the falling snow, and Percy prepared to uncap Riptide.

"Wait!" a female voice called. "You don't want to attack your guide, do you?"

"Guide?" Annabeth asked warily. "Are you going to take us to Aether?"

The girl, who looked to be around Thalia's age, became barely visible. Her long, straight blond hair blew in her face as the harsh wind assaulted them. "I won't directly lead you to him. That would make the quest lose its point."

Annabeth tried to protest. "You just said-"

"I know what I said!" the girl exclaimed. "I'll show you a way through the mountain so that you don't have to climb it."

All three of them were stunned. A way inside the mountain seemed unbelievable for some reason. Thalia voiced their thoughts out loud, and the girl's aqua eyes glinted. "It's a secret to everybody," she said. Then she chuckled as if she was sharing an inside joke. "Let's go in. There's no point in standing out here in the cold."

As they followed her towards the looming mountain, Percy spoke up. "We never got your name," he probed, "and why are you here?"

"It's Lucia, and my reason for being here…I can't really say," she stated.

Thalia not-so-gently nudged Seaweed Brain's side. "Don't aggravated her by asking personal questions!" she hissed out.

"I was just curious! He defended himself.

I'm sure we all are," Annabeth cut in. "Maybe she's a nature spirit in his service," she suggested.

Percy just grumbled something in agreement.

"Anyway," Annabeth continued, "Chiron mentioned hearing rumors. Maybe they had to do with an entrance to the inside of this place."

"I guess we'll find out," Thalia mumbled, distracted by the tallness of the mountain.

* * *

She let out an astonished breath once they entered the mountain through a small hole that about a meter wide and two meters tall. It still felt like being in a refrigerator, but at least there wasn't snow attempting to bury them alive. The sight presented in front of them was impressive. The area was structured like a cave for tourists, with manmade and natural stairs ultimately leading up. An orb of ethereal light floated near the ceiling.

"Pretty cool, right?" Lucia beamed. She looked much nicer now that they were out of the immediate cold. Still, Thalia didn't let her guard down. She noticed that the mysterious girl had a long metal pole strapped to her back like a sword. Lucia turned to her and must have identified the doubtful expression, since she cheerfully said, "Oh, don't look so paranoid. It's not like I'll spear you or anything."

After a few seconds of scanning their surroundings, she became professional and the grin faded. "Go to the top to get an audience with him. Be careful on the way there, and please do not blow up the mountain or something. The mortals would be so terribly confused," she cautioned with a snicker.

Before they could ask more questions, she told to not worry about air pressure or anything. "It's too bad that I can't help you more. Good luck!" Then she disappeared in a flash of blinding light.

"That was quick," Percy said while blinking rapidly.

"Let's get going," Thalia declared. 'At least heights won't be a problem,' she thought. The three of them were walking to the stairs in front of them when they heard a vicious snarl. The alarmed demigods prepared their respective weapons, with Thalia holding her bow tightly. "It sounds like a wolf," she started, but she cut off as a white blur leaped from the upper levels to land on top of Annabeth.


	6. Thalia:Dream Warning

**I'm actually updating more often than usual lately! I guess I'm trying to make up for next week, when I will most likely not be able to do so due to a concert, a VERY important test, a project, etc. But you probably don't want to hear me rant. On with the story! **

The beast bit at the air dangerously close to Annabeth's head. Thalia quickly dropped her bow and moved in close; it would be risky to shoot while Annabeth was trying to shake it off like that. Percy grabbed at the wolf, but it clawed at his wrists, making him retract his arms as if he was burned. He yelled in frustration as both he and Thalia were kept at bay, but with a grunt, Annabeth freed one of her hands and stabbed the monster. She was breathing heavily.

Thalia and Percy checked her over for injuries. "I'm fine," she reassured. "You distracted it from attacking." There were only minor claw marks on her shoulders where it had grabbed on to her. Thalia started working on the wounds. Annabeth craned her neck to see where Percy was. "Percy, are you okay?" She stood up abruptly, taking Thalia with her. The formerly silent demigod had backed up to the wall once he was sure of his girlfriend's health. He groaned a little and forced out the words, "I'm fine. Your injuries need to be treated."

The girls marched over to him. "Mine are better already," Annabeth said. "The same can't be said about you. Let us see your arm."

Percy reluctantly uncovered his left arm which he had been clutching. Annabeth gasped in horror. The entire forearm was covered in blood. "It looks worse than it is," he protested weakly as Thalia started wiping the dripping liquid with a cloth. She sighed in relief when she realized he was right. There was only a single gash, behind the wrist, and the bleeding slowly stopped with the pressure she put on it. Percy removed her hands and started walking to the entrance. "There was some snow blowing in. It should help me heal," he explained. He dipped his arm in a pile of snow, and a stain of red spread through the pale sheet of ice. Lifting his cleansed arm, Percy waved it in their faces. "See? Good as new," he said. He then took Annabeth in his arms and lightly kissed her on the lips.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "We'd better get going," she drawled, "and watch out for other native monsters."

* * *

The climb seemed to take forever, especially since all of their senses were on high alert. Turning every corner required extreme caution, but they didn't run across any other monsters for a while. An entire day actually went by, and exhaustion caught up to them. "Won't matter where we camp," Thalia mumbled to herself. "Everywhere looks the same." The floors were indeed identical, with a rocky terrain and some boulders, rocks, and ramps littering the floor.

"We should still rest with a wall behind us so that we don't get surrounded from all sides," Annabeth suggested. Agreeing silently, they walked to the wall with a clear view of the stairs and the entire area in general. Thalia pulled out a tent from her backpack and set it up as Percy checked on Annabeth again.

"I wish I could have healed your shoulders as I did with my arm," he said guiltily.

"It's fine. You can't take care of everyone, you know," she comforted.

Shaking her head at the overly romantic air, Thalia called, "It's done. I'll take first watch."

* * *

While the others snuggled (Thalia almost gagged at the word) inside with their blankets, she cast her gaze around the room. It was silent except for the soft breathing of her friends. 'Everything's too eerie,' she thought. For three hours, she sat still and wondered about the quest. There were so many unknown factors, and the line about fighting friends bothered her. Did it mean that friends would turn against each other, or would they fight side-by-side? The hunter stifled a yawn. Making a quick decision, she crawled inside the tent and shook Percy's foot, and he startled awake. His eyes were unfocused and wide as if he had just awoken from a shocking dream. "It's your turn to guard," she whispered to remind him. The sleepy boy shook his messy dark hair and stumbled out. She, on the other hand, lay down and closed her eyes. Within minutes, she fell asleep.

She found herself standing in a glade with the center being lighted by the moon. The glittering snow gave the clearing a magical feeling. A girl who looked to be about twelve years old walked up to her. She had silver eyes and auburn hair, and she had a hunter's clothing on. "Hello, Thalia," greeted the goddess.

Thalia bowed. "Why are we here, Lady Artemis? And what is this place?" questioned the slightly confused girl.

"This is a place only in dreams," Artemis spoke wistfully, "and you are here to listen to my warning."

Grimacing, Thalia bemoaned, "More bad news?"

"I'm afraid so. In addition to Phobos and Deimos, Morpheus has not been seen for quite a while. He could be up to no good, so tell your friends to be cautious of their dreams. I wish you luck on your quest," she said. Before Thalia could say anything, everything faded to gray, and she vaguely dreamed of Annabeth crying, Percy being nowhere to be seen, and a city falling to flames.

She awoke to a canine howl and Annabeth nudging her arm. "Wake up, Thalia! They're getting closer!"

**Was that a cliffhanger? :)**


	7. Thalia:Going up

**Yay, an update! I'm so tired, but it makes me happy when people enjoy this story. Reviews/favorites/alerts actually rejuvenate me... :)**

"We had about an hour left before you had to wake up," Annabeth rushed to say, "but we have to get ready."

Fully alert now, Thalia nocked an arrow and scanned her surroundings. A giant wolf with pale fur lumbered around in the front, and it was twice as big as the regular wolves that were to their left and right. The three beasts snarled, showing their bloodstained fangs. "They must be on a hunt."

"They won't be for long," Percy grunted beside her, his sword glowing faintly in his hands. The lead monster jumped, and Percy rolled under it and slashed its tail and behind. The following ones were either shot by Thalia or stabbed in the side by Annabeth. Both disintegrated in seconds.

"It must be resilient," Annabeth said, referring to the still living wolf. It was more cautious, snapping whenever one of them got too close. Circling constantly, it tried not to let them out of its sight. The demigods' eyes met, and they all seemed to understand what to do. Annabeth and Percy got a little closer together and yelled to attract its attention. As soon as it whipped around to them, Thalia let an arrow loose. The sharp point ripped into the back of the monster's head to embed itself in the skull. The creature instantly stilled and disintegrated.

"Wow. Nice shot," Percy commented. She proudly smirked at him, and he rolled his eyes fondly. "We've had enough rest," he decided. "It's time to get moving." They wordlessly packed up and continued to travel up again.

* * *

After the next ten identical floors, Thalia quickly grew bored of her surroundings. They had only encountered a few minor random monsters that resembled bats. Those had been eliminated easily.

"Hey, if we're up this high, then shouldn't we be feeling some effects?" Percy queried.

"Maybe it's like the Labyrinth," answered Annabeth. "Time and distance could be different here."

"Well, aren't you just a smart girl," jeered a familiar voice. It was Lucia. "Aether doesn't want to kill off visitors, so he adjusted the inside of the mountain. You're almost there."

"Finally!" Thalia exclaimed. Her hyperactivity had been driving her crazy.

"Something doesn't seem right," Annabth wondered. "Should it be this easy? The monsters weren't that strong."

"Getting a bit arrogant there?" Lucia sneered.

Annabeth recoiled, offended. "Where are you?" she demanded.

"Come up the stairs," rang the taunting reply.

Thalia sensed that something was wrong, and she stopped her friend from rushing upwards to give that girl a piece of her mind. She had seemed pleasant at the base of the mountain, so why would she suddenly have a change in personality? _A trap. It's not her, _she mouthed to her friends. Both nodded in acknowledgement and prepared to fight. She launched an arrow charged from electricity toward the next floor, and a pained roar followed. All of them hurried up and came face to face with an 8 ft tall cyclops. Spasms ran through it as the shock from the arrow plunged in its shoulder died off. Jumping to the side to avoid a giant fist, Annabeth stabbed its arm.

After shouting some profane words, the monster clasped its wounded arm. He growled menacingly, "A small scratch will not kill me! I will personally make your death painful-OW!"

Percy had slashed at his back and made a slight cut as the cyclops turned around at the last moment. While he was distracted, Annabeth threw her knife at its stomach. With a final groan, the cyclops glared at them and crumbled to dust. She made a face as she stepped around the yellow dust to pick up her dagger. 'I guess I didn't have to do anything,' Thalia thought. 'Oh well. These monsters seem really weak.'

"It did that imitating voice thing," Percy mumbled. Thalia turned to him. She figured he was thinking about Tyson.

"That was a merciless, hungry monster. We can't let it distract us from moving on," she stated firmly.

He peered at her sharply, and Thalia resisted the urge to shudder. Her cousin had developed some sort of a "wolf stare" during his time away from Camp Half-Blood. Percy shook his head and said without emotion, "Then let's move on," which unnerved her. The usually present sparkle in his eyes was gone, and that signaled that he would either start brooding or obliterate all enemies in is path.

* * *

Percy took point, which left Thalia and Annabeth to follow behind while whispering softly. "I'm worried about him, Thalia. He hasn't been acting like himself ever since…those shadows appeared at camp."

"This quest has all of us stressed out. Maybe that's it."

"He's always had that sarcastic sense of humor, though. The guy manages to crack jokes in life-or-death situations! What's so different now?"

"Nico's kidnapping could have affected him more than we thought. He could still be feeling guilty." 'That idiot,' she thought. Why does he feel responsible for everything?'

Suddenly remembering her dream, she spoke up and told them about it. Their reactions were strikingly different. Annabeth bit her lower lip and looked thoughtful while Percy's expression was unreadable, but a little tense too.

"There's nothing we can do about it," he said tightly. "When we go to sleep, then we can try to be careful, but I doubt we'll be able to control what happens," he snapped bitterly.

The girls shared a look. _See what I mean?_ "He has a point, Thalia said, shrugging. Before he could get smug, she turned away and jogged up the stairs. The temperature dropped suddenly, and she could see that one more flight of stairs would lead outside. "Uh, guys? We are almost there," she called down.

* * *

To prepare, the trio made sure that their parkas were intact, hats were put on tight, and gloves were where they were supposed to be. With masks covering most of their faces, only eyes were visible.

They trotted up, expecting a full-on assault of chilliness and cutting wind. Instead, they encountered a flat, white hall with white columns and a staircase leading higher up. Then Thalia realized that the hall wasn't painted white; the entire place was clear, and they were seeing all the snow outside. "The air pressure's not any different. Aether must have enchanted this…temple," Annabeth said in awe. She was surveying the scene, no doubt analyzing the architecture. "I wonder how these walls and columns are so clear. They don't look like glass."

After taking in their surroundings, they stepped up the staircase and came to double doors adorned with elegant curves and patterns. Percy boldly held up a hand to knock, but the doors creaked open. A resonant voice called out, "Enter, demigods. I have been expecting you."


	8. Thalia:Light's Complaints

**This feels like a late update, and I have no excuse other than the fact that I have been going through a lot lately, including some emotional stuff today. I thank my sole reviewer for the previous chapter, and thanks to the people who favorited or alerted this story.**

Putting on an impassive face, Thalia pushed forward into the room. There was a gold carpet on the floor, leading from the doors to a marble throne. It was simple yet grand at the same time, perhaps much like her father's throne. The god on the throne, presumably Aether, observed them with stern blue eyes. His fair skin seemed to glow, and he would have had a completely majestic aura if not for the flowing golden robes and the blond afro. Still, they did the safe thing and bowed.

"Half-bloods, I sensed your presence in the mountain. Why have you come here?" he thundered with the tone of one who already knew the answer.

"My lord, the prophecy we received spoke of you. Do you know the whereabouts of Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades? He was taken by shadows, probably sent by Erebus," Percy explained politely (that was a surprise to her).

Aether frowned, his bushy eyebrows suddenly reminding Thalia of wiggling caterpillars. She tried not to giggle at the silly thought and blamed her ADHD.

"Erebus," he sighed, "is a nuisance to me. He constantly threatens my domain of light. It would not surprise me even a bit if he had committed this unethical act as a strike against other gods!"

Thalia grimaced. "So Nico could be in danger right this moment! We must find him quickly! Sir," she added hastily.

"Do not be impatient, Thalia Grace," he said ominously, making her stiffen. How did he know her name? "Nothing good will come out of it. His exact location is unknown to me, but he resides somewhere in the Western Hemisphere."

'Well, that's helpful,' Thalia thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

Unaware of her sarcastic mental jibe, Aether continued, "If I were to conjecture, Erebus would be somewhere in California. One may think that he lives in the Underworld, but he is actually independent from Hades. He still likes dark, isolated areas, though, being the sulky, insolent old man that he is…"

Uh-oh. Negative feelings between gods were bad. Everyone else got caught in the middle as they tried to blow each other up.

"Alas, you do not want to hear an ancient god ramble. I will send you on your way. Lucia," he called, "escort these demigods to wherever they are supposed to go."

'Her?' Thalia wondered. 'Is the girl his servant or something?' Footsteps echoed behind them, and she stood there, bowing her head. She was dressed a milder weather, with a white jacket, blue jeans, and tennis shoes.

"Yes, my lord," Lucia said softly. She seemed subdued, which made Thalia irritated. She didn't like seeing other girls oppressed. Before stepping outside with the others, she looked back, only to see Aether studying Percy. She didn't like it; it was a look she had seen before when gods judged whether certain demigods would be useful or not. Sighing, Thalia exited the throne room.

Annabeth was questioning Lucia. "Where will we be heading?"

"I think," she replied, "that I'll take you to Camp Jupiter. The Romans know California better than I do. If what Aether said is true, a mine is a likely place for Erebus to be."

"I thought the same thing," Annabeth said happily, probably from having found a logical person. "They'll be able to lead us to a notable mine, and if they've sensed unusual occurrences nearby, it won't be too hard to narrow down the list."

Lucia nodded. She gestured for Percy and Thalia to come closer. "It'll be quick. Just stand still for a moment, and we'll be off."

"What'll be quick? Thalia attempted to ask, but then a flash of brilliant light surrounded them, accompanied by a sensation resembling flight.

* * *

When the light began to fade, Thalia stumbled out, landing on soft grass. Surprised by the sudden lack of snow, she whipped around, scanning her surroundings. Annabeth lost her balance and kneeled on the grass, and Lucia offered her a hand to help her up. Percy blinked sluggishly, staring at somewhere behind her. More specifically, he was looking at a tunnel: the entrance to Camp Jupiter.

"There it is," Lucia said glumly. "I should probably leave. The Romans would be more comfortable with familiar faces." Despite saying that, she looked reluctant to leave. Thalia thought that she was rather good at reading people, and she got the feeling that Lucia wanted to avoid Aether even though she was related to him somehow.

Percy, being his usual Seaweed Brain self, mumbled, "Okay. Bye."

Thalia rolled her eyes and handed the dejected girl a card. "You seem like a nice girl. If you ever want to join the Hunters, send us a message."

"I wish I could," she said with an uncertain smile. "Thanks."

After shaking hands with Annabeth and handing her a lantern ("It might come in handy."), she flashed away.

"Still recruiting for the Hunters?" Percy grumbled. "We're on a quest."

"As if I'd ever stop!" Thalia gleefully said. "Now let's hurry before I fall asleep from boredom."

The Romans were actually pretty receptive, considering what they'd been through before. She and Jason hugged each other and had some sentimental moments and such. He greeted the others, too. Of course, some of the campers still hated the Greeks and expressed hostility.

Octavian set a prime example for being antagonistic towards the group. As soon as they entered, he "greeted" them, saying, "You again? Haven't you caused enough destruction already?" To their amusement, he immediately got dismissed by Jason and Reyna, the two praetors.

"You are always welcome here," Jason said. "I'm sorry to hear about Nico."

Annabeth bit her lip and glanced at Percy, and Thalia prepared to glare. If he became guilty again, she would knock some sense into him. Strangely though, he looked expressionless. His attitude was starting to become eerie to her. He also stared at Hazel coldly when she stated firmly that they would find Nico. The poor girl's voice started wavering when she realized that Percy seemed to not care.

Thalia jumped in before it got too awkward and tense. "We will find him. I promise," she declared. Hazel smiled a little in gratitude.

They explained what their thoughts were on where to find him, and their counterparts looked contemplative.

"Perhaps you should rest here for a bit before you go," Reyna offered. "It's almost night, and who knows what will happen when you meet Erebus? Besides, it looks as if a storm is about to come."

"While you rest, I'll be able to find out exactly where to go. I have had some strange feelings about the area of San Francisco lately. Nico could be in a mine near there."

Percy said, "You're right. We'll need to be rested before facing a god and whatever else."

All of them in agreement, they were led to the Fifth Cohort.

**Aether didn't have much to say, it seems. Also, this story may have unintentional spoilers for the Mark of Athena. I apologize in advance if that happens. This chapter didn't have much action, but hopefully that will change in the coming chapters. Stay tuned!**


	9. Annabeth: Destruction and Terror

**Welp, here it is: the last update before I go on vacation. No worries, though; I won't be gone long. :) By the way, I know next to nothing about San Francisco or the area around there. I apologize if I messed the place up.**

After getting washed up and filling their stomachs, they headed straight to bed. For Annabeth, exhaustion made her eyelids heavy, and she fell straight into dreams.

She kneeled on snow, and shouting around her compelled her to look up. People barreled around, panicking and screaming in terror. She gasped as she realized that she was staring at the city of San Francisco, and some parts of it were in flames. She wanted to yell, to ask what was happening, to make ANY sort of noise, but her voice would not work!

On the far end of the street, a figure trudged to a lamppost and sliced it with a sword. Annabeth desperately tried to get up to defend herself, but the figure caught sight of her and ran away into an alley.

"What?" she groaned as her vision began to blur. Next, she found herself on Half-Blood Hill, staring at an approaching army. Grover, Thalia, Leo, Piper, all of her friends from camp stood with her…except Percy. Where was he?

Her attention returned to the shiny mass that steadily marched to the camp. She estimated that there were about 200 troops, but instinct told her that whoever had deployed them had far more forces at his or her disposal. She wished she knew who the leader was. Judging by the snow on the ground, it was still winter, so they would be attacked within a few months...

In what seemed to be minutes, Hazel woke her up, saying, "Hey, it's morning now. I thought you might want to start early."

With the dream of camp fresh in her mind, she wanted to retell it right away, but she waited until breakfast so all of her friends could be there.

As expected, they looked concerned. Reyna chewed on her bacon thoughtfully. "An attack? Perhaps we can help," she offered.

"It appeared as if we needed it," Annabeth stated gravely. She turned to Thalia with pleading eyes. "Will you help us, too?"

She smirked. "What else would we do?"

"If it is absolutely certain that there will be an attack," Jason said, "we will come."

Annabeth nodded in thanks, and the rest of the meal was eaten in silence.

* * *

As they trekked through the roads, Annabeth considered mentioning the other part of her dream: the one about San Francisco. After all, they were going there. It would be wise to tell them about what could be a future event.

When she recited it, Thalia frowned as if concentrating. "That sounds kind of familiar. I think I might have had a dream like that."

"Same here," Percy said. "Guess we'll just have to be extra careful then."

Hazel, who was guiding them, shivered. "Three demigods having the same dream? That can't be a coincidence."

"No," Annabeth agreed. "It could be Morpheus, trying to make us paranoid and distracted."

Percy scoffed, "I think you're reading too much into this."

She sighed. Why was he being like this? He wasn't telling her something, and she felt as if he was trying to avoid the subject of dreams. Before she could protest, however, the ground rumbled faintly.

"What was that? Thalia almost yelled.

"An earthquake. Duh." Of course, it was Percy who answered. "It was in San Francisco. We might want to hurry."

They took off to the city, and Annabeth wanted to scream in frustration. Why an earthquake? Why now?

By the time they entered the streets, several minor shakes had already done some damage to the city. Thalia spoke Annabeth's thoughts out loud. "Isn't Poseidon the god of earthquakes? It doesn't make sense that he would target where his son is!"

Percy shrugged nonchalantly. "I wouldn't be surprised if he changed his mind and decided that he wants to kill me."

Everyone gawked at him in disbelief, but at that moment, a violent tremor knocked them off their feet. A fissure began to spread beneath them, and they jumped to the sides to avoid falling. Buildings around them cracked, and some of them caught on fire. It was difficult to get up, but it became even more strenuous with the sudden wave of people that swarmed around them, trying to escape the falling debris.

'It's happening,' Annabeth thought. A sudden pang of fear hit her heart. Would her family be okay? They may have been distant before, but their relationship with her had mended. She didn't want them to die!

Her eyes were clenched shut until she felt Thalia's hand on her shoulder. The earthquake seemed to fade away. People were scattered everywhere. Annabeth coughed, for smoke had begun to spread around. Thalia stood behind her, Hazel lay on her side a few feet away from her, and Percy…he was gone.

"Percy!" she wheezed out. After clearing her throat a couple of times, she tried calling again. There was no response.

Hazel groaned as she shifted to a sitting position. "He could have been at the other side of the gap," she said. "I hope he makes it to the other side of the city. That's where we're headed."

"I guess there's no use in staying here, then," Thalia said uncertainly. They followed Hazel further down the road.

It was chaos. Cars were smashed on the roads, which had cracks branching off. Windows were shattered, and citizens hollered as they tried to find a way around dangerous areas.

Thalia suddenly slowed down. "There's somebody over there who's not acting like everyone else," she said sharply.

In the distance, a figure waited, tapping his foot. He had a hood over his head, but he was obviously masculine. He seemed to notice them and jogged further back. Turning around to face their direction, he crossed his arms.

"Does he want us to follow him? Hazel questioned.

"We're going in that direction anyway, right? We might as well see how things work out," Annabeth said.

* * *

"Follow the mysterious man" quickly became "Chase the mocking annoyance." The person would slow down a bit, turn towards them, and then sprint away as they got closer. Eventually, they ran near a familiar place.

"No," Annabeth lamented. She felt as if a cold fist was clenching her heart.

A few blocks away stood her house, and it was being engulfed by flames.

Thalia sent her a sympathetic look. "There's nothing we can do. The mortals are trying to help the best they can."

'You don't understand!' she thought angrily. She had to get to her home. She HAD to save them!

Just as she prepared to push through a crowd, Hazel cried out, "Watch out!"

The boy that they had been tailing jumped out from the side and swung a sword at her. She rolled aside and whipped out her knife. An arrow zoomed above her head and towards the boy. Getting on her feet, she took a few steps back and joined Thalia and Hazel in a defensive posture. The people had already scattered off, and the boy loosely held a metal sword in his hand.

Annabeth became outraged. "You could hurt a mortal with that!"

He flicked the sword up and appeared to study it. Then without warning, he jabbed the sword at her foot. Sidestepping, she kicked him in the side as he lost his balance. Instead of falling, however, he rolled on his side and got back on his feet.

"Who are you?" Thalia demanded.

Without answering, the boy whirled around and ran, gesturing for them to follow him. His sword had disappeared.

"We should go after him," Hazel suggested. "Who knows if he'll decide to take out that sword and start attacking civillians?"

With a reluctant glance back at her house, Annabeth followed her friends as they began the chase again.

**Fun Fact: This entire story began with that prophecy in the beginning. I was just thinking of random lines that one could use, and BAM! Prophecy, story idea, and this. :)**


	10. Annabeth: Reunion and Betrayal

**The end is in sight! I hope your questions will be answered very soon...I'm not saying that this chapter has all the explanations though. :)**

By the time they reached the city's end, they had lost the silent maniac with the sword.

"Ugh!" Thalia growled. "Now that jerk could be anywhere, and it's not like we can just stay here and scour the entire place!"

"I don't think we need to worry about it. His goal was to get our attention. Why else would he have left after leading us on?" Annabeth considered.

"That's true," Hazel agreed, "but we still can't leave without Percy."

"I'm here," grunted a welcome voice from behind her.

"Percy!" Annabeth ran up to him and embraced him tightly. He hugged her back awkwardly. "Where have you been?"

"I've..," he hesitated, "been trying to find my way around. The quakes were pretty distracting."

"I'm glad you're safe." Annabeth said. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair was messed up, and he was sweaty, but that didn't matter to her. She was just relieved to see him.

"We've been here too long," Percy said, letting her go. "Hazel, take us to the mine."

* * *

The entrance to the abandoned mine was cold and drafty. The place was perfect for the god of darkness and shadows.

"This is as far as I go. I don't know what to tell you but to be on your guard and follow the path inside," Hazel suggested. Waving good-bye, she departed.

Thalia grumbled, "I'm tired of dark and damp places." With that, they entered.

Taking out the lantern given to them by Lucia, they stumbled along the passage. All three of them had to duck multiple times to avoid bunmping into the ceiling. Annabeth sighed. Not too long ago, they had headed up a mountain. Now they traversed the underground. She had to agree with Thalia; she grew weary of dark places where monsters could jump out at any moment. As if on cue, a non-human cackle interrupted her thoughts.

A humanoid wearing green garbs dropped in front of them and hopped around. It had paper covering its face with strange markings on it. The thing skipped towards them, and Percy uncapped Riptide. He ran it through the stomach, pulled his sword out, and slashed at its neck. With a screech, it fell backwards and faded.

"That didn't look like any Greek monster," Annabeth said, confused.

"It was an imp," Percy said. "There must be more of them further on, and they don't have Greek origins."

Getting suspicious, she narrowed her eyes. How did he know that when she didn't? Before she could voice her thoughts, though, three green imps tumbled out of nowhere. Annabeth aimed a kick at one's head in front of her, and it fell sideways with a satisfying CRACK! She attempted to stab it, but it hopped back up and shot a projectile with a blowgun of sorts. Using quick reflexes, she deflected it with her dagger. She sliced twice at its abdomen, and it cried out, vanishing as it did so. Looking around, she noticed that Percy and Thalia had finished off the other two. "How did you beat them?" Annabeth asked curiously.

Percy just shrugged, and Thalia said smugly, "I hit it with brute force. Those things are wimps!"

"They'll become pests if we let them. Can we hurry up and press on now?" Percy said impatiently.

"Well, someone's a bit grumpy today," Thalia griped. Even so, she led them forward, where more stairs waited.

As they descended quietly, Annabeth attempted to start a conversation (interrogation). "Hey, Percy," she said cautiously.

"What?" he snapped irritably.

She paused, but she figured that it had to be said. "Why do you sound so bitter lately? What happened to the sweet and funny guy that we used to hang out with?"

The temperature seemed to drop several degrees, and the atmosphere immediately grew tense. Through her peripheral vision, she noticed Thalia wince slightly.

Percy thankfully remained calm, but his response hit her hard. "Maybe you didn't know me as well as you thought you did."

What? That wasn't possible…was it?

Thalia exclaimed, "Of course we know you, Seaweed Brain! We've been your friends for years!"

Annabeth nodded fervently. What was wrong with him? However, his next words put her into even greater shock.

"Pathetic. You guys of all people should know what "friends" are like. They get close, and when you're at your weakest…they stab you in the back."

Memories of Luke suddenly rushed back to her, and she almost stumbled back. Tears prickled at her eyes. Percy was her dependable, caring boyfriend. He was her rock! She didn't understand why he was saying these things.

Apparently, Thalia didn't either. "You shouldn't say that," she objected. "What about all those people from camp? We fought together, and some even died!"

"They won't last long," he replied coldly.

Holding back a sob, Annabeth gritted her teeth. She couldn't break down, not when they still had a mission. "Alright, I don't know what's going on with you, but you'd better get your head on straight before we face Erebus."

"It's too late," he muttered menacingly. Completely ignoring them, he took off into the tunnel. Exchanging a helpless glance, they followed him.

They found Percy standing in a dim cavern. A few feet away, a god sat on an obsidian throne. He had pale skin, black windswept hair, and dark eyes. Surprisingly, he was dressed rather casually, with jeans and a leather jacket, and he took the appearance of a young man. Erebus observed them with indifference, but something next to him caught Annabeth's attention.

Slouched in a sitting position, Nico seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

"Aether sent you," Erebus stated. His voice seemed to make the chamber even bleaker. He glared at Percy. "This one is lost to him."

Thalia asked in alarm, "What do you mean?"

Before he could answer, Percy silently took out a metal sword and rushed at him. Annabeth stared in horror, both at what he was doing and the identity of the sword. It was the same one that the boy had used to attack her before, and now that she had a closer look, it had Celestial Bronze as well as steel!

Panic overwhelmed her. Was he crazy? "Percy, stop!"

Actually listening to her, he froze. He turned toward her, and she gulped. So many thoughts and suspicions about what had happened were turning in her head, and Percy had the overall look of someone who was…possessed. Or maybe sleepwalking was another term.

"You defend him after what he did?" Percy said in a monotone. "You are proving to be a threat." With that, he changed targets and charged at her.

**Does anyone know where I borrowed those imps from? They originally came from a game, so I understand if no one gets it...Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! :)**


	11. Annabeth: Confusion and Clarity

**The green things that I referenced were Green Imps from Okami, and I'm probably the only one who has any idea what it's about. :/ Anyway, I really hope this chapter answers most of your questions (it'll also probably bring up some more, but oh well)!**

Thalia intercepted him before he could attack Annabeth. They exchanged blows, sword to hunting knife. After a particularly hard clash, he pushed her away but didn't follow through. Instead, he grabbed at his eyes.

"Take him down quickly," Erebus ordered. "I have clouded his vision."

He was helping them…Annabeth's mind flashed back to the prophecy. _Enemies be allies_, it said. Even though Erebus had taken Nico, he wasn't necessarily the bad guy. Her heart cried out at the next line, though. Percy was the one who ended up fighting them!

Despite not being able to see, he held his own. He must have been listening closely and feeling the air around him.

"Snap out of it, Percy!" Thalia shouted. He paid her no attention and continued to slash away like a whirlwind. She could barely manage to hold him off, so Annabeth sneaked behind him and attempted to knock his head with her dagger hilt. However, he spun around and hit her dagger. He twisted it down to disarm her, and it clattered to the floor. Thalia saved her by kicking him in the legs to make his knees buckle.

"Your friend is not awake to hear your pleas," Erebus warned. "He is controlled by dreams, by Morpheus. Added to the powers of Phobos and Deimos, Morpheus' rule over him is too great for him to awaken easily."

"You're a god! Can't you do anything?" Thalia yelled desperately.

"You said it yourself, child. I am a god. The ancient laws forbid me, even if I could do anything. He struggles in nightmares, and that is not where my sphere of control lies."

Percy had stumbled back up and gotten ready to fight again. Annabeth picked up a stone and signaled for Thalia to get ready. She threw it at Percy's head, and he instinctively ducked, just as she had expected. Thalia stepped in close and swung and uppercut at his face as he flinched away from the rock. He tried to block, and as he became distracted, Annabeth thumped his head with her dagger hilt.

Crumpling to the ground, Percy was unconscious.

She immediately took him in her arms and hugged him. "I'm sorry, Percy. I hope you can hear me." Before she could say anything more, a blinding flash of light covered his body.

"No!" Erebus barked, but in an instant, Percy had disappeared.

She felt tears trickle down her face. Why couldn't the Fates just leave them be? It was almost like Mount St. Helens all over again and maybe even like Hera's plot during the Giant War.

"How dare he enter my realm? First he blames everything on me, and now, this? He has crossed the line!" Erebus raged, the air around him pulsating dangerously.

"Lord Erebus, please," Thalia mumbled, "who is _he_? What is going on?"

His anger seemed to subside a little. "_He _is Aether. Listen well, demigods. Prove my innocence to the Olympians. I only took this child," he gestured to Nico, "to protect him from Aether. He had hired Morpheus, Phobos, and Deimos to enter camp and plague him. Within days, he would have fallen under Morpheus' power, and ultimately, Aether's control. I removed him to prevent him from being Aether's pawn, but…his plan changed."

"He targeted Percy instead, didn't he?" Annabeth said sadly. She should have known. Now it made sense why he had acted so strangely.

"Indeed. He had initially planned for Nico to shadow travel to my domain easily and confront me. With Perseus, that was impossible, so he decided to wait until the quest led you to me. Every time Perseus went to sleep, he slipped further and further into Aether's schemes."

"Why?" Thalia asked. She sounded tired, much like how Annabeth herself was feeling. "What does he want?"

"He wants war!" Erebus rumbled angrily. "He wants me eliminated so that his domain will have more power. Now that you got involved, he will suspect that the Olympians will try to interfere. You, girl," he growled at Annabeth, startling her out of her stupor, "you have seen it, haven't you? Your precious camp will be assaulted by his forces!"

She nodded reluctantly, and he harrumphed, "He is a fool. Bringing a demigod into this himself and striking against the Olympians because he is paranoid that they will get in his way…that will be his downfall."

"We don't want another war!" Thali beseeched. "We've already had two in our lifetime. Isn't that enough?" Her voice faded off.

"You have no choice in the matter," he replied gravely. "Besides, do you not want your friend back?" He didn't wait for an answer and stood up. "Of course you do. We are in the same boat; he is an enemy for both of us. The most important fact is that he does not grasp the concept of _balance_. If he manages to defeat me, then that balance will utterly shatter, possibly causing the world to fall into chaos."

That alarmed her quickly. "What?"

Erebus picked up Nico and handed him off to her and Thalia. He created a dark portal beneath them and urged, "Go back to your camp, and remember that your home is not the only thing at stake."

Swirling shadows enveloped them. Within seconds, they found themselves back in the midst of camp, with one person lost and another found.

**I suppose that the story could end there, but I feel like there needs to be another chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it wasn't confusing! :)**


	12. Annabeth: An Unsatisfactory Conclusion

**This chapter is finally up! Things were really slow yesterday, so I couldn't update. On the bright side, I went to a Symphony of the Goddesses concert! For those who don****'t know, it's a concert where they play Legend of Zelda music while showing awesome gameplay footage. I think it was the best thing I ever heard/saw/experienced. Anyway, on with the chapter!**

Annabeth was emotionally exhausted. A god had taken her boyfriend, she was stressed about a war to come, and there was impending doom upon the world. She really hoped that this pattern wouldn't repeat throughout her life.

When they had arrived at the camp, Chiron had taken one look at them and rushed them to the Big House. He had noticed Percy's absence and grimaced.

Once they had explained what had happened on the quest, her teacher closed his eyes and muttered a prayer. He gently ordered, "Go back to your cabins and rest. We will discuss the future later," He patted Nico's arm. "He is not in any danger and will be taken care of."

Obliging, Thalia stormed off to Cabin 8, which had begun to glow silver as the sun dipped below the horizon. It was a beautiful sight, and Annabeth wished she could appreciate it. As emotionally stricken as she was, she found it hard to think or consider anything. Longingly glancing at Cabin 3 and imagining its former occupant, she choked back a sob and hurried to her own cabin.

* * *

On a positive note, her sleep was dreamless. She was awakened by a knock on the wall.

Thalia stepped in. She appeared slightly better than she did last night. "Chiron told me to get you. He thinks Nico is about to wake up."

Annabeth rolled out of her bed. The sun was shining up high, so all of her half-siblings were out. As soon as she got ready, they headed to the Big House.

Nico lay on an infirmary bed, and next to him was Chiron, in his wheelchair. The Son of Hades definitely seemed to be stirring.

"Nico? Wake up," Annabeth called softly. His eyes fluttered open before he clamped them shut tightly again. He groaned.

"You are safe now," Chiron said soothingly.

He mumbled something.

"Hmm? What was that, Death Boy?" Thalia goaded slightly.

His eyes jerked open and glared at her with irritation. He attempted to talk, but only a croak came out. Chiron handed him a cup of water, and he took a few cautious sips after sitting up.

"Nightmares," he managed to get out.

"Yeah, we know. Phobos kind of had a lasting effect," Thalia informed him.

Nico shook his head. "I saw an army. It was cold, and there were a lot of troops. They were under Aether's command, and he's going to attack!" He had gotten panicky and desperate by the end.

"Calm down, Nico," Annabeth said. She wondered if he knew what had happened to Percy. Her question was answered in moments.

He nodded and took a deep breath. "We have to warn the gods… Hey, where's Percy?" he interrupted himself, glancing around.

She, Thalia, and Chiron shared an apprehensive look. Annabeth faced the confused Nico and told him, "It's a long story, but it's one that you need to be caught up on…"

**It's the end of the story. Oh noes! But no worries; I am working on the sequel. It will be called "The Proof of War" (second in The Primordial War series), and it will be out sometime after July 27 because I haven't written most of it, and there will be a 3 week period in July when I will be at a summer studies thing. Feel free to leave reviews and PMs about your thoughts/ideas/predictions until then, though! I would like to thank everyone who stayed with this story and was supportive! Have a nice summer! :)**

**And because it's probably necessary... Disclaimer:**** I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus. They belong to Rick Riordan.**


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